For many people, disaster can be just around the corner. Whether it’s hurricanes that wipe out entire islands or blizzards that shutdown entire states, the safety and security of your family may rest on a portable solar generator. The two types available may work the same way, but the one major difference makes the off-grid the preferred version for disaster situations.
Off Grid and Grid Tied Portable Solar Generators – What’s the Difference?
When people hear off the grid, they think of living away from electricity and modern society, but it has a slightly different definition when it comes to backup solar generators. An off grid generator has outlets and plugins on the actual machine itself, but a grid tied machine connects directly into your home. For example, if you had a grid connected generator, then you could plug in your phone charger into an outlet in your home and it will work. An off grid generator such as the Yeti 3000, has outlets on it that you plug into directly. They are both solar powered products, so you don’t need to store any fossil fuels or worry about running out of fuel.
Flooding and Hurricanes Need Off Grid Generators
You’ve watched the news and seen the flooding and devastation in Puerto Rico and other areas caused by the recent spate of hurricanes. The islands could be without power or weeks or even months. A solar powered generator is the only reasonable choice, but not grid tied. As we talked before, grid tied connects directly to a home’s electrical system, which only days earlier were under 10 feet of water. The outlets and the electrical systems in general are not serviceable. Before the grid tied generator can work, the outlets and electrical wiring must be fixed.
How long will that take? The entire island is without power. Homes are destroyed and people are displaced. It’s been difficult to find enough drinkable water and food. Electricity is a priority, but your grid tied generator is useless. Off Grid generators can run refrigerators, electrical appliances and even television.
With the Yeti Home Integration Kit, you get the best of both worlds. If you have an emergency and your outlets work, the integration kit can let you connected directly into your home’s electrical system. Want to see how it works? Check out a video here.
Off Grid Means Portable
If the grid tied solar backup generator is connected to the main electrical, then it has to be on or near the home. When your home is being hit with hurricane force winds and pelted by raindrop bullets, the odds of the generator working properly could be slim. It certainly won’t survive a flooding. Permanently installed battery systems like Tesla Powerwall, and gas systems like Generac, rely on your homes existing power-outlets which will not be usable after flooding.
Off grid generators can be stored someplace safe and taken out once the storm is over. The choice is obvious for anyone that may be impacted by flooding, hurricanes and tropical storms.
Earth Tech Products wants people to have the best solar powered products for them. We only sell the best, so if you’re worried about safety and security, then check out our solar generators here.